The Father and the Son
The Jews persecute Jesus because he does such things on the Sabbath. Jesus answers that his Father is working even now, and he too is working. Their reaction hardens as they seek to kill him, seeing his words as making him equal with God.
N16ow because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews began to persecute Him. 17But Jesus answered them, “To this very day My Father is at His work, and I too am working.” 18Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Jesus says the Son does nothing on his own but does only what he sees the Father doing. The Father loves the Son, shows him greater works, gives him power to give life, and assigns all judgment to him so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father.
19So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Jesus declares that whoever hears his word and believes the Father has passed from death to life. He speaks of an hour when the dead will hear his voice and live, of the Son’s authority to judge, and of a coming resurrection that divides life and judgment. His judgment is just because he seeks the Father’s will rather than his own.
24Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life. 25Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice 29and come out — those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. 30I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.